In March of 2017, NFL team owners voted unanimously to approve the Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas. Earlier this week, the municipality of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the 3-10 Raiders and the NFL alleging that the move was approved not as part of a desire to improve competition in the league, but because the other franchises wanted their piece of Oakland's relocation fee.
While the suit would not block the move, but drastically increase the cost of it— especially considering that damages awarded under antitrust law are automatically multiplied by three.
The move is scheduled for 2020, but the team is now in need of a stadium to play in for 2019 after owner Mark Davis vowed to leave after the news of the lawsuit. However, despite Davis' words, CBS Sports reports that according to league sources it's not out of the question that the Raiders play one more season in Oakland.
CBS Sports also reports that Davis will face a backlash from the league if the issue is not resolved by the Super Bowl. Other cities that have been considered are San Diego and San Antonio, but some league executives believe that the easiest solution would be to have the Raiders stay in the Bay Area.
They tossed out the ideas of having the team share Levi Stadium with the San Francisco 49ers, or using AT&T Park, where the San Francisco Giants play. CBS Sports' sources tell them that the news of the lawsuit came as a surprise to the team and now has Davis scrambling to find a temporary home before their relocation to Las Vegas.
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